Apps are ubiquitous in today’s world. But as a small business that’s mindful of its budget and goals, how can you know when to invest in creating your own company app? While it’s different for each company, here are four indicators that day has come.
You Have a Clear Purpose
Don’t create a mobile app just because everyone else is doing it. To have a successful app experience, your business needs to know exactly what it wants from the app. Many small businesses assume that apps will generate new customers, but this isn’t often the case. This should be more about making your best customers better.
Decide on your company’s priorities. Do you want the app to handle direct sales? To teach customers about your business? To facilitate service calls? To make data easier to transmit between both sides? To provide self-service tools? To increase brand awareness? To provide a substantially different experience than other platforms?
An app needs focus in order to do one or two things well. Having too many competing priorities will likely water down its effectiveness in key areas.
Both Sides Will Benefit
Any business relationship is built upon both sides benefiting from the arrangement. An app is just the same. Identifying how your company benefits from the app is usually fairly easy. You get more data on your customers and their interests or needs. Your brand is more accessible and publicized. You get a boost in sales or attract a younger crowd of digital natives.
But make sure you never lose touch with the benefits to your customers. If you ask them to download an app for your business relationship, they’ll need a strong motivation and reward to do so.
Will they experience faster, easier orders? Will they get loyalty benefits, such as free returns or discounts? Are there dedicated team members to help app customers? Can you offer special deals only available on the app? And how will these benefits be made long-lasting enough to make downloading worth the effort? Consider how your business will answer these questions.
You Can Track the Benefits
How will you determine if your app is being successful in meeting its goals? This is an investment in time and money, so there should be concrete measurements that you can track and learn from. Will that metric be in direct sales? In referrals? In customer satisfaction as defined by surveys or more retained customers? How will you measure things like brand awareness or self-sufficiency among customers?
Generally, a business should start on the simpler end of things to see how the app functions and achieves its specific requirements. This allows you to focus on the core elements and measure the more easily. As you know what’s working and what isn’t, add to its functionality or experience with new features.
Your Budget Can Handle It
An app may appear deceptively simple, but it takes an investment to get it up and running — and then to keep it that way. You’ll have to maintain the apps and integrate them all into your existing techology.
Most small businesses outsource this work, so work with a quality app developer to find out what ongoing investment will be required to make the app what you want. Define what concrete financial goals will make that investment worthwhile.
Do you think that an app would enhance your company’s interactions with customers? Whether you’re just investigating the options or have a thorough idea of what you need, start your app journey by visiting jācapps today. Our app professionals will help you create the right app to fit your business’s needs and budget. Call today to learn more.
Originally published by Jacobs Media
